Hybrid electronic-film cameras allow photographers to capture scene images (the light images of particular scenes) as latent images on photographic film and as electronic images that are digitized and stored in memory. Most hybrid cameras allow the capture of electronic images concurrent with the capture of the same scene in a latent image. Some hybrid cameras also allow the capture of electronic images without corresponding latent images.
In many hybrid cameras the electronic images stored in memory can be reviewed at any time when images are not actively being captured. The electronic images are shown on a display screen mounted to the camera. User controls allow the user to change from one image to another. U.S. Pat. No. 5,845,166, to Fellegara et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,978,016 to Lourette et al. teach battery conservation in a hybrid camera. When an image is captured in those cameras, the image display on the camera remains inactive until deliberately activated by the user pressing a switch. The camera also has a timer that turns off the image display after a short period of activation. Reactivation is by pressing the switch. The camera fully powers down after a longer time than for inactivation of the image display. A default image that is shown on reactivation of the image display is the last image captured or a specific image selected by the user using a menu option. The timer can be disabled to show images in a slide show manner, by use of an external power supply.
Timed deactivation of the image display in hybrid cameras is a useful feature; but is not without shortcomings. For efficient energy conservation, the image display must be deactivated within a very few seconds after activation. Thus, the display inactivates, not only when camera use has been temporarily suspended, but also commonly during use. The inactivation and requirement for the user to take one or more steps to return to the earlier use, is disrupting to the user.
It would thus be desirable to provide improved cameras and methods in which inactivation and reactivation of an on-camera image display is less disruptive to the user.